'I have four players marking me every time!' - Vinicius Junior suggests Brazil fans expect too much as he speaks out on Dorival Junior regime after disappointing start to Copa America

A star-studded Brazil line-up could only manage a goalless draw against Costa Rica in their Group D opener in Los Angeles. Despite fielding an attacking lineup featuring Real Madrid stars Vinicius and Rodrygo, the Selecao struggled to break down Costa Rica's resolute defence, managing only three shots on target out of 19 attempts.

Despite the absence of their all-time leading scorer Neymar, who is recovering from injury, Brazil fans had high hopes following Vinicius' standout season at Real Madrid. However, Vinicius has urged fans to be patient with the team's progress and at the same time called upon his teammates to put their best foot forward in the subsequent matches.

"Every time I enter the field for the national team, I have three or four players marking me," Vinicius told reporters.

"New coach, new players, everything takes time. Our fans want everything immediately done, but we're going little by little. In the next game, I'm sure we'll play much better because we now already understand what the competition will be like, what the pitch, and what the referees will be like. We know we can improve, we have to improve. I also know what I can improve, evolve and do for our team."

Coach Dorival Junior faced a tactical dilemma as Brazil failed to find the back of the net. He eventually substituted Vinicius Jr. for Endrick in the 71st minute, a move that did not yield the desired results. "We tried with him [Vinicius] on the wing and we didn't succeed," Dorival explained. "Then we put him inside and we couldn't find a way through either ... he was very well marked."

Dorival also introduced Sávio in place of Raphinha at the same time, but Brazil's attacking woes continued. "We had to find a solution," Dorival noted. "I was trying to make a change. We tried various alternatives, and several situations were created, but in the end, we were unsuccessful with our finishing."

Brazil's next match against Paraguay, who lost 2-1 to Colombia, presents an opportunity for redemption. The team will need to address their offensive inefficiencies and find a way to convert their chances if they hope to progress in the tournament.